Pity he doesn't even mention Spike. I hope it doesn't mean that Spike will be relegated to the background as a recurring character who appears in his ship only when Scoobies need transport. It would be a waste.

Interesting tidbit about the new girl's name.
According to "Baby Names Meaning", "Nadera" is an Islamic name that means "Exceptional, Rare, Uncommon". According to Rebecah Isaaks, she's "normal teenager by day" (I don't remember the exact quote). She looks pretty normal on the sketches DH revealed.

The only big news at the panel was about Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 9 which is the next installment of the story in comic book form. They will be focusing more on the individual characters more instead of specific story arcs. They will also begin introducing a few more male characters into the equation.

The Buffy/Angel "reunion" will probably occur near Season 9's endpoint when they team up to take down this season's big bad. That's pure speculation on my part but seems pretty likely.
Brierly | July 22, 14:57 CET

That's what I've been thinking for a while now as well and it makes sense to keep them apart until the last part of season 9 at the earliest which is two years away(remember 25 issues of both books = 2 years of season 9).They really need to build up to that and earn it.It shouldn't happen so soon.They both need time and both need to get their heads on straight individually before they can face each other again.And don't forget there is going to be a season 10 as well so more interaction could be coming then too.

"No, they are going to stay apart" sounds pretty definitive to me. One can only hope. I'll lose a huge amount of respect for all involved if B/A are deemed viable after their bestest day ever.

New male characters + Buffy trying to establish a normal life. Girl's going to be dating is my guess. If so, it'll be interesting to see if they can pull off making a new comic character a compelling love interest.

Big agreement with Emmie about how good it is to finally hear something about Faith's storyline.

Almost positive that the new gay character will be Andrew's love interest, and I'm curious in spite of myself. (the last thing I want is more Andrew screen time, but will a good solid match level him out and make him more tolerable? Cuz that would be cool!)

Well,I would expect him to say what he did if any Buffy and Angel interaction won't be coming until the end of the season.Again,that's two years away.What else can he say in the immediate?He also said,"but there won’t be a real blatant cross-over anytime soon."

Anytime soon does not mean never.Again the last part of season 9 is two years away and then there is season 10 as well.

Also lets not forget some of the things Scott said in season 8.For example,he said Angel and Spike made their last season 8 appearance in the "Always Darkest" web comic.He said that in August of 09.That December,Twilight gate hit and we saw how not true that was about Angel and Spike.

If Buffy and Angel might interact again later in the season especially in the last part,he certainly wouldn't want to confirm that now just as the season is starting.It would kill any build up they might be planning or surprises in the story.It would be like if they confirmed at the start of season 6 that Spike would get a soul at the end of the season or Tara was going to die.And when Tara's death did leak,Steve DeKnight even covered to hide it by saying he would leave BTVS if Tara is killed(after the episode aired he even said basically,"What,you expected me to admit she was going to be killed and spoil it?"He then moved to ATS which actually kept his statement truthful.lol)

Or a season 8 example.It would like if before season 8 started,Scott said at the end of the season,Angel would be revealed as the baddie and Spike will appear in the last arc.Why would he confirm that?Better to say that Angel and Spike probably won't be used except for the big moments.

So,"No, they are going to stay apart" doesn't sound pretty definitive to me based on passed experience.I think it's true in the immediate but I don't think it's true long range towards the end of season 9 and/or season 10.

One can only hope. I'll lose a huge amount of respect for all involved if B/A are deemed viable after their bestest day ever.

I wouldn't rule anything out with Joss.And I mean that in general and not just in regards to ships.If Joss wants to do something,he'll decide to do it.Joss has done a lot of things people thought he couldn't or shouldn't do after a previous storyline and they've usually turned out well.

Interesting info about new characters.I wonder if some of the Buffy ones are her co-workers and people in her building.Also maybe the cops on the Jeanty cover for issue 2?

New information concerning the upcoming season is just exciting! I am beyond ready to jump back in. I also agree with Buffyfantic in the regards that pretty much everyone rooting for a cross-over between Buffy and Angel, didn't expect it to happen until the middle end. A lot to be covered before that happens, imo.

Do you have a link? I'm very curious if he said verbatim "it was their last appearance in season 8" or he said something less definitive and more open to interpretation.
Moscow Watcher | July 22, 18:38 CET

Found it.

It's from the panel report at the 2009 Baltimore Comic Con in early October of 09.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23274

A three-part question came next. A fan asked if there was a chance of "Dollhouse" comic, if there was going to be a series revealing the past of "Serenity's" Shepherd and if Dark Horse would be getting former Buffy beaus Spike and Angel from IDW, the company which owns the rights to them.

Allie replied with a simple "yes," but expanded on that after the laughter died down. First he explained that Angel and Spike have appeared, but likely wouldn't again.

"'Dollhouse? There's a chance," Allie explained.

This was three months before Twilightgate hit.Twilightgate broke on Jan. 7th 2010

First he explained that Angel and Spike have appeared, but likely wouldn't again.

Now I realize "likely" does not = "definitive" but neither does
"anytime soon" = "never."

And he's saying,"Angel and Spike have appeared, but likely wouldn't again(making "Always Darkest" the last appearances") knowing full well Angel is Twilight(and he had known for four years) and this would be revealed in a few months.And that Spike would be showing up in the last arc and he probably knew that for four years too.

OT but I also found something very ironic while looking for your quote.It was from a podcast Scott Allie did with Buffyfest at the SDCC 2009(ironic since we're in the middle of SDCC 2011 right now).

http://buffyfest.blogspot.com/2009/07/po....allie-from.html

Keep in mind,this was back during the "Retreat" arc.In it Scott said that he would love to personally write Angel and Giles together in a story if he could.I just realized that Scott did get to write them in issues 37-39 and got to write them in a big way with possibly the biggest moment possible between them in #39.You can't get bigger then one killing the other.That just caught my eye while I was looking the quote.lol

But we agree that the new AF character could be interesting!

I'm hoping more info comes out of Comic Con about this character.I'm assuming this is the character from those sketches that got released a few weeks ago.

It's from the panel report at the 2009 Baltimore Comic Con in early October of 09.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23274

A three-part question came next. A fan asked if there was a chance of "Dollhouse" comic, if there was going to be a series revealing the past of "Serenity's" Shepherd and if Dark Horse would be getting former Buffy beaus Spike and Angel from IDW, the company which owns the rights to them.

Allie replied with a simple "yes," but expanded on that after the laughter died down. First he explained that Angel and Spike have appeared, but likely wouldn't again.

Thank you very much for it! It's fascinating to look back and see how writers tried to keep their secrets at the same time avoiding blatant lies. "Probably", "likely", "possibly", etc. Another reminder to take everything they say with a grain of salt.

That said, I think that chances for the Bangel reunion (in a romantic sense) are very small. Joss won't grant a happy ending to anybody. It's not his style.

B&A are still viable. Joss wouldn't piss all over one of the property's most popular elements and its fans.

I'd have said he already did piss all over that particular popular element. Having them all lovey dovey about their bestest day while the world is being torn apart because of what they did that day is a real strange way of setting up a romantic couple that most fans could root for.

But who knows? Maybe Joss also thinks it would be romantic if Buffy and Angel still wanted to be together no matter how many people died because of them.

I do agree that the interviews can be misleading though. But not always. Allie said a million times that they were never going to explain how Buffy decided to rob banks, and they never did explain that. So Allie's emphatic statement here makes me happy even if it doesn't finish off the rather revolting possibility that Joss and/or DH could still think that B/A are epic twu wuv forever no matter who has to suffer and die for it.

Moscow Watcher, I disagree. Joss is all about upending conventions. It's now a Whedonian convention for couples to NOT get a happy ending. Ultimately I think Joss will overturn his own convention with re: to Buffy and Angel.

Well,I would expect him to say what he did if any Buffy and Angel interaction won't be coming until the end of the season.

I feel like they were giving accurate S8 teasers early early on despite the fact that they were years in the future...(and making it sound like we'd find out much sooner. I know when I started reading them I had no idea how long I was committing to to get any kind of payoff- not sorry, I enjoyed every minute, but if you'd told me I'd be waiting 3 years to find out who Twilight was....!) I personally feel like this means, they have separate books/stories/continents, they aren't going to interact.

B&A are still viable. Joss wouldn't piss all over one of the property's most popular elements and its fans.

I'd have said he already did piss all over that particular popular element.

I totally agree. Not an issue for me, but I do see it this way. Then again, the same could've been said late S6 re: Spuffy after the AR and that didn't exactly turn out that way....

In case Simon's warning wasn't clear enough before, this conversation has strayed much further into shipping territory than we allow here. Quoting and agreeing with the comment he mentioned, not so much heeding that warning.

Faith's being a mentor to her fellow slayers sounds very interesting but I also hope we get to see Buffy getting a chance to mend fences with at least some of the slayers who are now so angry with her.

The empowerment spell in Chosen was for me one of the greatest moments in the entire series and I'd hate for there to be no rapprochement between Buffy and the other slayers.